Another poor season could cause serious problems for the NZ apple sector, said Ian Palmer, chairman of Pipfruit NZ.
“If we don’t deliver this year, our reputation could be irrevocably damaged,” he said. “You can only live off your reputation for so long.”
The New Zealand apple industry still has a lot to offer, said Palmer, and the increasing signs of co-operation among exporters are positive.
“Around 50 per cent of the volume will be going through Enza this season, rather than 30 per cent last year. So that will hopefully set the price for others to follow.” Enza is aiming for at least 65 per cent of export fruit, which will increase stability further.
As the crop will be shorter this year and the size profile is in the right range for export markets, there is no excuse for anyone destabilising the market, said Palmer. “And anyone who does will have to answer some tough questions,” he added.
“We’re not asking exporters to co-operate in marketing, we just want them to co-operate where they can. We’ve got the Cox exporters talking to each other, and that’s a real achievement.
“Our real challenge will be if the market this year suddenly improves then the talking might stop. We can’t afford to have short-term memories. But I believe we’ve turned a corner.”
